Endgame Launches New P&A Venture

Endgame Launches New P&A Venture

Endgame Entertainnment, the Hollywood-based independent producer and financier behind “Hotel Rwanda” and “An Education,” has announced the launch of Endgame Releasing, which will partner with investors, producers and studios to provide marketing and distribution funding for wide release films.

The first film to take advantage of Endgame Releasing is Endgame’s current production, Rian Johnson’s “Looper,” featuring Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Bruce Willis.

Full press release reprinted below:

ENDGAME ENTERTAINMENT LAUNCHES A NEW P&A VENTURE, ENDGAME RELEASING

Endgame Releasing is backed by a $150 million revolving fund for P&A financing for films distributed through any studio or major independent.

Los Angeles (November 3, 2011) – Leading Hollywood-based independent producer and financier Endgame Entertainment has announced the creation of Endgame Releasing, an innovative new marketing venture that will partner with equity investors, third-party producers and studios to provide marketing and distribution funding (known as Prints and Advertising or “P&A”) for wide release films. Endgame Releasing will provide P&A of $20–plus million for films released on a minimum of 1,800 screens and expects to finance the release of 4 to 6 films per year totaling $400 to $500 million in P&A investments over the next 4 years.

Endgame Entertainment has invested the equity portion of the $150 million revolving financing facility, with London-based Octopus Investments providing the mezzanine debt and a consortium of banks lead by Comerica and Union Bank providing a revolving senior debt facility.

Endgame Releasing will release through major studios and major independent distributors providing films and film makers with the benefits of studio-level marketing and distribution support and affording producers greater financial control and participation in marketing process. The non-exclusive, multi-picture model will allow for a diverse portfolio of projects and an opportunistic approach to investments, matching each film with the right distributor and release date.

With the ability to partner on films at any stage of production, there is the added potential of Endgame helping to complete a financing package which would provide an effective green-light for projects in pre-production while also providing P&A for completed films of independent financiers as well as for studios. Endgame’s current production of Rian Johnson’s Looper, starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Bruce Willis and Emily Blunt will take advantage of Endgame Releasing by co-financing marketing costs with FilmDistrict for its 2012 release through Sony’s Tri-Star Pictures.

“With studios reducing the size of their slates and seeking P&A funding for a variety of reasons, we feel there is no better time to offer an alternative funding source for domestic marketing costs,” stated Douglas E. Hansen, Endgame Entertainment, President. “We believe that Endgame Releasing is a unique, financially viable model that will benefit producers, investors, filmmakers and studios alike.

“We are very pleased to be partnering with Endgame on this innovative vehicle for distributing commercial content,” says Ed Fellows of Octopus Investments. This model provides studios with additional films for distribution without the need for additional capital, which will better utilize existing overhead and therefore enhance studio returns.”